Plenitude

  How much is enough?

  In Wall Street 2, the head of Goldman Sachs (or whatever they called it in the movie) says, simply, 'More.'

  In Juliet B. Schor's Plenitude, it's a very different answer.

  Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth, is a two part journey.  The first is an exploration of what might happen if we, as a global society, continue on our current course of consumption, accumulating more things, consuming more fossil fuels, and destroying more natural habitat.  As you can imagine, it's not a pretty picture.  We don't know what will happen to the earth, but it seems as though a majority of the world's eyes are opened to the reality that it will be bad.  Many still deny that we need to change, but it seems as though there is a wave of momentum for something different picking up force.

  The second part of the journey is the proposal of Schor's book.  Basically, what she proposes is that we define wealth as something different than having more money, more things, than the neighbors.  She proposes that we stop working more hours to make more money to buy more things to support our consumption-driven lifestyles. She proposes that we develop alternative habits, some that will help provide, like container gardening and sewing, and some that will add wealth to our lives that cannot be counted fiscally, like investing in time with family.  She proposes that the future economy needs to value the earth's resources, and count the cost of deforestation and overfishing when we consider what we are paying.  It's a powerful proposal, one that is taking hold in many communities and hearts, and will continue to develop and blossom as people look for more in life than simply more costly toys.

  As a Christian, I find Schor's book particularly powerful.  This book is not religious at all, but in her alteration of the definition of wealth, I find something that I believe Jesus Christ would approve of--wealth is more than money, and life is more than things.

  We, as Christians, are to be concerned for the world, for our neighbors, for our family members.  We aren't here to accumulate things, to earn riches that we cannot take beyond the grave.  We aren't here to live for ourselves--we have a fundamental responsibility to one another, to the community.  We are to love our neighbors, and our neighbors include the wage slaves in China working in dangerous factories to produce our iPads and cheap clothes.  We should count the cost of a new pair of jeans as including the water it took to produce them.  We do not strive for worldly success, but rather faithfulness to a Gospel that demands us to be thoughtful, to be loving, to be gracious.  We are to care for the world God has made and for the people made in God's image.

  I'd highly recommend Plenitude.  Read it for the interesting economic proposals, and to open your eyes to the path the world is traveling.  Then let it be food for thought about how, as a Gospel-centered people focused on living in the Kingdom of God, we can live lives that proclaim a greater truth, the love and grace of Jesus Christ, in all that we do, in our work and our play, in our homes and our neighborhoods.  How can we be good stewards of the earth and faithful to the call of discipleship, living in such a way that demonstrates our faithfulness to Christ, not to profit and worldly success.

Here's a link to Juliet Schor's website.

My Kind of Town

  Do you know what's great about Chicago?

  It'll remind you why you're so grateful that you live in the south, where Memorial Day weekend's forecast doesn't include anything under 60.

  Rachel and I just got back from a short vacation in Iowa to visit some friends from seminary.  We had a difficult decision to make, though.  Milwaukee, Chicago and Minneapolis are all four hours from Manchester, Iowa.  Those are the closest, most affordable airports to fly into, and they all hold major league baseball teams.  I was busy trying to decide what stadium to attend, while Rachel was busy telling me that she wasn't exactly concerned about which city we flew into, as long as the plane didn't crash.  (She's the one that has her priorities in order.  Me, not so much)  Eventually, I settled on Chicago, knowing that Wrigley Field was supposed to be a memorable experience.  It certainly was.

  Our flight into Chicago was delayed by about four hours.  We were surprised that they announced it as a mechanical problem, since Chicago was supposed to have severe thunderstorms all afternoon.  I assume that the 'mechanical' problem was that the planes mechanics didn't match up well with lightning.  We didn't mind, though, since they gave us food vouchers which were subsequently traded for Ben & Jerry's smoothies.  My patience can be bought.  Apparently, $6 is the price.

  We finally arrived, caught the train, and made it to our hotel, a surprisingly wonderful Comfort Inn, a block from the subway station.  We were waiting in the lobby behind a charming woman who spent the majority of her time checking in staring at me as though I had arrived in Chicago from another planet.  She finally worked up the courage to ask where I was from.

  "Chattanooga."

  "Tennessee?"  She spat the word out as though it were covered in arsenic.  Clearly, she placed Tennessee in the same category as such charming things as month-old milk and cat vomit.  At this point it became clear to me that she would not be inviting us to join her for dinner.  She finally turned her back to me and muttered, without prompt, "I'm from Manhattan."  I think I was supposed to feel something other than disdain for her at that moment, but, if so, I failed in my big moment.  Obviously, she's never heard of the Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame.

  Anyway, Rachel and I managed to have a lovely dinner at the Weber Grill, where everything is cooked over charcoal, and made it to Wrigley Field in the top of the first inning.  We had great seats down the left field line, and we were just happy to be in Chicago, considering that we hadn't even expected our flight to leave Atlanta at all.

  I'd love to wax poetically about the charm of Wrigley Field, and tell you that it is baseball at its finest.  I'd love to be able to say that the rise and fall of the crowd's emotions made watching a baseball game an epiphany.  Unfortunately, I can't.  I will say it was great to be there, and I'm glad we went.  It was neat to see the ivy on the walls, and there was something special, something unique, about being in a historic ballpark, where character abounds.  It's a special place, and if you're in Chicago, it's worth the trip.  However, I would advise against going when it's fifty degrees and windy.  It changes the experience, and the stadium is half-empty.

  Also, the Mets and Cubs are both terrible, terrible baseball teams this year.  One Cubs' relief pitcher came in to the game, walked three straight batters without throwing a strike, and was promptly removed from the game.  If professional sports had mercy rules, both teams would be excused to go play on the beach for the remainder of the season.  Instead, we watched 6 innings of bad baseball (which is far better than no baseball) until it began to rain, when we decided that 6 innings of Wrigley Field were just as good as 9, and we hightailed it back to the warmth of our hotel, where I took a bath just to warm up.

  It was an interesting first day in Chicago, and considering that my other Chicago experiences included getting  stranded at O-Hare airport and watching people yell at each other about affirmative action, it was a big step up from what I had known Chicago for.  Wrigley Field was so different than other baseball stadiums I've been to, and I would have loved to have sat back and enjoyed a cold beer, but the cheapskate within me wrestled with paying $7 for a beer on a night where the beer stayed cold because the weather was so cold.  Perhaps some day I'll be back in Chicago on a warm summer eve, and then Wrigley will contain the magic it is said to have.  Perhaps.  Until then, I'll remember a rainy night with my wonderful wife in a new city watching a beloved sport, and I'll give thanks for how blessed I am.

Been a while

  I know it's been a little while since anything has made it up here--had a great trip north to Chicago/Iowa.  I'll post some details about that in a while.  First things first, though--if you weren't watching the Reds game last night, Joey Votto hit a baseball as hard as I've ever seen anyone hit a baseball.  Just crushed it.  Check it out.

  Last night, for the first time ever, I felt new life.  Rachel's been feeling the baby kick on occasion for the past week or so, and she's been wanting me to feel it, too, but the baby just won't cooperate.  (I have a feeling I'll be uttering that phrase a time or two in the coming years)

Anyway, last night, about 2:00 in the morning, I couldn't sleep and, being the compassionate husband I am, I woke Rachel up.  (In case you're curious, anxiety sucks.  I mean, it really, really sucks.  I've been dealing with it for over five years now.  At times, when I'm not completely self-absorbed, it makes me realize how much our soldiers sacrifice when they go overseas to fight in wars.  They come home transformed by the experience, and while the rest of the world expects them to pick up where they left off, back to life as usual, they're waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares of people shooting at them.  There's nothing lonelier than fear in the middle of the night--it's paralyzing, and devastating, and yet when you walk out the front door in the morning, no one knows what you've been dealing with all night.  May we be in prayer for those who come home from war.)


  But I digress...  so there we were, my hand on Rachel's belly, and I feel a little movement, just beneath her belly button, and it's life.  It's life wonderful and precious, dear and sweet, fearfully and wonderfully made.  It's life, and it's my son, and it's unbounded joy and complete grace.  It's a gift, more than we could ask for, more than we could imagine, and it continues to grow.  In months, Rachel may grow weary of kicks to the ribs, but there will forever be the memory of a small kick, a baby's message that it is alive and it is coming to the world.  Our baby, my son, reached out last night and touched my heart.  It will never be the same.

6/2 E-News

Announcements

UTC Fundraiser—June 11 will be UTC’s next pancake breakfast fundraiser!  It’ll be at the O’Charley’s on Gunbarrel—please see me, Beth M, or Lizz for tickets!  ($5)

$.02/Meal—July 24 will be our next collection date.  Why advertise this now?  To remind you to collect two pennies for every meal you eat!  We’re hoping to hit $200 this month.

New Hope News

Evelyn Piatt thanks everyone for the cards & prayers

Pray for…

Eddie Ivey, Troy’s brother, who is undergoing some difficult medical times.

Martha Hicks.

Links

Other churches finding their mission in the local school.

This man is out to ruin my birthday.  Why anyone still listens to him, I don’t know.  Here are some lessons we can learn from Harold Camping.

Seminary student starts coffee company

The value of failure

Clean Water U and the tornadoes that came through the area

Why we need Comic book characters to not grow up

What would you do?

Focus Book

  I’ve been reading quite a bit of 2 Timothy lately.  1 & 2 Timothy, along with Titus, make up the ‘Pastoral letters’, so titled because they are focused on Christian leadership.  There are doubts that they were written by Paul, and it is most likely that an unknown author used Paul’s name to gain authority for his letter.  (I suppose I could preach this Sunday’s sermon in the name of Billy Graham?)  The three letters were most likely written in the early 2^nd century, due to their awareness of the events in Acts.  In 2 Timothy, it is assumed that Paul is in prison, facing imminent death, and the letter reads like a final testament.   

The ones who stop doing evil and make themselves pure will become special.  Their lives will be holy and pleasing to their master, and they will be able to do all kinds of good deeds.  Run from temptations that capture young people.  Always do the right thing.  Be faithful, loving, and easy to get along with.  Worship with people whose hearts are pure.  (2 Timothy 2:21-22, CEV)

Text for this Week

Luke 16:1-13 (The Message)

The Story of the Crooked Manager

 ^1-2Jesus said to his disciples, "There was once a rich man who had a manager. He got reports that the manager had been taking advantage of his position by running up huge personal expenses. So he called him in and said, 'What's this I hear about you? You're fired. And I want a complete audit of your books.'

 ^3-4"The manager said to himself, 'What am I going to do? I've lost my job as manager. I'm not strong enough for a laboring job, and I'm too proud to beg. . . . Ah, I've got a plan. Here's what I'll do . . . then when I'm turned out into the street, people will take me into their houses.'


 ⁵"Then he went at it. One after another, he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'
 ⁶"He replied, 'A hundred jugs of olive oil.'
   "The manager said, 'Here, take your bill, sit down here—quick now— write fifty.'
 ⁷"To the next he said, 'And you, what do you owe?'
   "He answered, 'A hundred sacks of wheat.'
   "He said, 'Take your bill, write in eighty.'


 ^8-9"Now here's a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. I want you to be smart in the same way—but for what is right—using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you'll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior."

God Sees Behind Appearances

 ^10-13Jesus went on to make these comments: 

   If you're honest in small things, 
      you'll be honest in big things; 
   If you're a crook in small things, 
      you'll be a crook in big things. 
   If you're not honest in small jobs, 
      who will put you in charge of the store? 
   No worker can serve two bosses: 
      He'll either hate the first and love the second 
   Or adore the first and despise the second. 
      You can't serve both God and the Bank.

 

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